Mirrors: Keitaro Urashima
by The Cactus
Summary: Keitaro thinks about his life now that he has been recreated.
1. Alone

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything.**

* * *

Keitaro sat alone, next to a sakura tree that grew, similarly alone, in the grounds of the dormitory.

It had been two month since Brainy Keitaro had managed to reform him using the flux gun, and since then, his life had certainly changed. Even for the better, some might say.

After his rebirth, the girls had stopped punishing him, instead opting to hang out with their own respective Keitaros.

How weird, using the word Keitaro in plural form.

At first, Keitaro had been seriously confused about the situation in its entirety, but then later on Kind Keitaro, together with Naru, had taken time out to sit down with him and bring him up to date with recent events, by telling him about the incident that caused his split into six different personalities, the stories behind the current relationships between the different Keitaros and the girls, plus the subsequent _risky _attempt at reforming him, which fortunately worked. Or else, you know, the world would have become a black hole by now.

By the way, Keitaro still couldn't figure out how the ridiculously rigid law of 'Law of Conservation of Energy' could be bent. After, this reform process had pulled energy out of nowhere to reform his original body, and in doing so; he was now again the embodiment of all six Keitaros once more. This would mean that _another_ six Keitaros were created, since the original six were still well and alive. Hence, in essence, energy, and matter, had been created during his reform process. This was a massive breakthrough for science!

But that wasn't important.

What was important was that, somehow, even though he didn't get punished anymore, and the entire atmosphere in the inn was now one of harmony and happiness, Keitaro felt sad… empty.

All the girls in the inn had their own Keitaros now.

And since all the girls had their own Keitaros, the original Keitaro was now completely, and utterly ignored.

So what was going to happen to him?

He couldn't chase after Naru now, since she was practically spoken for by Kind Keitaro.

His number one dream in life of going to Tokyo University with her was shattered... by ironically, _himself._

What should he do now? Had he been better left living in each manifestation of the different facets of his personality, and being loved by each and everyone of the girls, rather than being brought back into an empty, useless shell, that was ignored and neglected by the same bunch of girls?

Sometimes, Keitaro wondered why they brought him back. It was obvious none of them actually wanted him back, judging by Naru's expression of extreme disappointment when she had looked upon him the day they used the flux gun.

_She seemed to have been mourning, feeling sorry for somebody… a person he thought was himself, since he was lying barely conscious on the ground due to some unknown cause. However, it soon became apparent that it was not himself that she was sorry for when an identical double of him appeared and stroked her on the back, followed by a joyful welcome from the auburn-haired girl. At this point, his head was still too muddled up to consider the impossibility of there being an identical twin of himself running about, but the happiness that came to him for thinking that Naru had cried for him instantly evaporated. Of course, Keitaro's face betrayed none of his emotions, and instead, he let the still muddled part of his brain take over, appearing to be confused and disorientated._

_Keitaro felt the flame burning within him dim. But that was not all. _

_Later on, when they had retreated back to the living room of the dormitory, none of the girls had bothered to pay him any attention, and neither did any of them bother to answer one of his numerous questions. Shinobu was busy running after her captured 'sempai', Kitsune was hanging out with Fun Keitaro, Su was engaged in deep conversation with Brainy Keitaro, Motoko and Confident Keitaro were practically making out with each other, Naru and Kind Keitaro were nowhere to be seen, and probably making out somewhere, and Mutsumi and Timid Keitaro were playing some board game._

_Seeing that nobody was going to be able to entertain his questions for sometime, Keitaro quietly sneaked out and disappeared through the front door, reappearing only later at night._

_Of course, when he returned, still nobody cared to inform him about the latest events, so he retired to his room and went to bed._

Keitaro looked towards the heavens, and wondered about the injustice of it all.

Had they forgotten, that _he _was the one who had helped them in the days before? When they were broke, when they were depressed, when they were lost… he was the one who had helped get them back on their feet. And now… now those _ingrates _had forgotten all about him just because individual parts of him had appeared! What about the original, the one who truly was their candle in the dark? What had these individual parts of him done for the girls that could compare to his deeds? All of them… in their individual form… was nothing compared to him, a collective consciousness that brought out the best in each of them!

But still, the one thing that hurt him most was the fact that Naru had allowed the relationship between herself and Kind Keitaro get further than the relationship between them ever did. Why did she accept part of him more than she accepted him? In what way was his inferior to Kind Keitaro? IN WHAT WAY WAS HE INFERIOR?

Kind Keitaro did not have the other facets of his personality to control him… while _he _had… and yet, in the end, it made no difference.

Naru had made her choice.

Keitaro pounded the ground with his fist, as silent tears flowed down his cheeks. _Why was fate so unfair to him?_

Keitaro slumped back against the tree.

In the end, it did not matter. He loved the girls way too much to be able to hold a grudge against them. All he could do was to grin and bear it.

But as he resolved to do that he realized something.

That there was nothing left for him here now. Perhaps, so as not to stick out as a sore thumb in their perfect lives, he should leave.

But where could he possibly go?

_Nowhere._

Suddenly, he heard some rustling in the trees… just as somebody dropped down and landed right next to him.


	2. Rejection

Keitaro turned to the direction of the 'thump' and realized that the person settling down next to him was… Kanako.

"Brother."

"Kanako," acknowledged Keitaro.

"Brother, what are you doing out here?"

"Thinking... Just thinking."

"About what?"

"About my life, now that there are six copies of me running around. Haha! Funny, isn't it? Having like, seven of me running around. Kind of makes me redundant, doesn't it?" jokes Keitaro, even though Kanako could hear the bitter undertone in his voice.

Meanwhile, she leaned back against the tree.

"I see now… that the fact that the girls are too occupied with their own shards to bother about you is… hurting you."

"Well, isn't that obvious?" Keitaro smiles at her, before looking up at the sky.

"Not really. You've managed to hide it pretty well so far, but I'm starting to see the cracks in your armor… I'm certain that eventually, you're going to crack if you don't face up to the problem soon." Kanako glanced at Keitaro for a moment, before looking back towards the ground.

"Well, Kanako. What am I supposed I do? If each of them have really found happiness in the shards of me, then who am I to disrupt their peace? Besides, what _can_ I do? I can't possibly confront them! Motoko and Narusegawa will simply punt me somewhere far away… just because they are soft to my shards… does not mean that they will be kind to me too…"

Keitaro turned to stare at Kanako, his gaze drilling holes right into her consciousness.

"Tell me, what can I do now? Do I leave? I don't want to stick out like a sore thumb, as the only one without a partner, in a house full of happy couples. Not only would I probably find them at the most importunate moments, and get punted into orbit, I would also feel lonely all the time, since nobody even acknowledges my existence, and they are all way too preoccupied with each other to spare any time for me, not that they would want to in the first place…"

"Above all, it would kill me, just to see all the missed opportunities I had." Keitaro turned back to the sky, "I…I'm not stupid. I knew that the girls were all interested in me at some point or another before the accident. Now, however… I don't think I have to say it. It obvious. Maybe, Kanako, I should relinquish my title as the manager of this dormitory and find some place out in Tokyo to live… that way," Keitaro turned towards her again, "perhaps, memories of good times long past would not haunt me… as badly as they are doing now."

As Kanako listened to her brother, who was so very dear to her, speak she wondered just how dense her brother could be. Couldn't he see her feelings towards him? If he could see the feelings of the tenants for him long before this, then why couldn't he see her feelings towards him now? They had spent so much time together, so why just couldn't he see her love for him? Why? Why? **WHY?**

Kanako decided that she had had enough. If this was the way her brother decided to see things, then perhaps drastic action had to be taken.

And so, without any warning whatsoever, Kanako suddenly leapt at her brother, kissing him full on the lips.

Keitaro was surprised at the action, but given what he had just said… it wasn't really very unexpected. Keitaro knew… yes, he knew of the attraction of his sister towards him, but he had not brought up the issue, in case he gave his dear sister false hope, and he just couldn't bring himself to so cruelly hurt his little sister.

Still… he knew this wasn't right. He knew that unfortunately… in order to end this issue once and for all, he had to… hurt his dear sister.

Keitaro knew that he should break away now, and talk things through with Kanako once and for all. But for a moment before his consciousness steeled it's will he found himself kissing her back, resulting in a wet and rather sloppy kiss, for he was trying to kiss and yet _not _kiss her at the same time. It was confusing, to say the least. The feel of her soft, warm body against his own, the thoughts of how well she fitted into his side and the warmth she offered… did not make it easy. He thought, for a moment, perhaps… she could help remove the sadness he now felt at the lost of the girls…

…but as that thought came to him he jerked away from his sister. He grabbed hold of her shoulders and pushed her away, as tears flowed down both their cheeks and she stared at his face with shimmering eyes, plenty of tears still left unshed.

He would not, never ever, use his sister as a tool to help himself; he wouldn't take advantage of her… not when she was weak like this. No, he loved his sister way too much for that.

And anyway, he did love his sister dearly, but not in the way she felt about him. Lying not only to himself, but Kanako as well, and starting a relationship with her, would only end in disaster.

_Somehow, he knew it._

And all he could do… as he held on to her shoulders was to say, in a sad voice, "Kanako. You know this should be. It is not right for us… to be together."

"But brother, what IS wrong with us being together? We aren't related by blood, and you know that I have loved you ever since we were kids!" cried Kanako.

"I'm sorry… but I'm afraid I don't see you as anything more than my dear little sister…"

Kanako wailed, and clutched onto him tighter, sobbing into his shoulder.

"And you knew that… didn't you, sister?"

Kanako had no reply.

Gently, Keitaro pried his sobbing sister off his body, and stood up, before turning and walking back to the dormitory. As he took the first step, he felt his sister grab hold of his leg.

"No, Keitaro! Don't leave me alone… please, don't leave me like this! Stay with me!" cried Kanako, almost pitifully.

"I'm sorry, but I can't do this… I'm not strong enough…" was his reply, as tears dripped onto the ground before him. Steeling himself, he wrenched his leg away from her grip and walked away, even as her cries threatened to shatter his will.

Without a final glance back, Keitaro walked away.

Meanwhile, Kanako lay under the sakura tree…

…and wept.


End file.
